Aleson stood next to the old Don of Sino. The Don, Don Anthony, was sitting at the table, smoking a fat cigar. He was quite old, that was clear. His skin was sagging, and his clothes were a bit out of date. Nonetheless, the clothes were expensive and fancy, along with the many golden rings he wore on his hand.
"Aleson," Anthony said through puffs of smoke. Aleson clenched his fists – his hands were behind his back, so no one noticed much. Don Aleson, he thought bitterly. I'm a damned Don, just like you. "I heard of this… Don of Galet. He doesn't like you, does he?"
"Everything is taken care of, Don Anthony." Aleson wanted nothing more than to make this man's death slow and painful… yet he knew, if his plan was to go into action, he needed him not only alive, but on his side. And that meant Aleson would have to suck-up to this disgusting man for a while.
"I can't have another territorial war, Aleson. Not because some monster went and fucked things up." The don spat the word "monster" like it was poison in his mouth. Aleson allowed a thin smile to cross his lips. Oh, I will show you what a monster I can be, he thought viciously. Soon….
"I understand, Don Anthony," Aleson said, his voice not betraying his thoughts. He had complete power over his tone, if only because he knew this old man's time was coming.
"I've got plans," the don continued. "Big plans. You got a place here in Sino, but I won't think twice to throw you back out on your ass where you came from. You're lucky, though… the only monster to do business with me."
How lucky, Aleson thought, unamused. Then an idea popped into his head. He cleared his voice quietly, thinking. Yes. Yes, that will do quite well….
"If I may, Don Anthony," he said politely, "I have a meeting with the Don of Galet in a few days or so. Personally, I think things will go well enough. However…."
"However what, Aleson?" Anthony asked, glancing back at him. Aleson truly wished this pompous man would keep his name out of that wretched mouth.
"However… this Don of Galet… he is quite a pompous, arrogant man, as I've heard. I understand it is in your intentions to befriend him, form an alliance?"
"Indeed… and I do not want to change my intentions, monster."
"I understand," Aleson said, trying hard to hold back his anger. "But with all due respect, Don Anthony… this don, he wants nothing but power."
Anthony chuckled quietly. "Don't we all?"
"Yes, but… he wants your power, Don Anthony." That seemed to strike a chord with Anthony. Good, Aleson thought, this is going well. "I believe that after you befriend him, he will betray you, and run you out of your land."
Anthony took a long, thoughtful drag from his cigar. Aleson watched him silently. "Well," the don hummed. "I suppose that would be no good…."
Aleson smirked a little. Anthony didn't even question Aleson's attempts of befriending him, even now. Oh, this man truly was a fool…
"Of course not, Don Anthony," Aleson said. This was going exceedingly well. The seed of doubt he had planted in the dons mind was growing quickly into the most wonderous of trees…
"What do you suggest we do, then, Aleson?"
"I suggest," he said slowly, "we cut off ties with them as soon as possible."
"Cut ties?" the don asked. Aleson narrowed his eyes, but quickly fixed his expression. "No, that won't do… cutting ties with a powerful don is not a good thing to do."
"I've done it," Aleson pointed out. The don rubbed his chin, still in thought.
"Yes, but… no, no, that was a monster don," he said. Aleson eye twitched. That monster, he thought bitterly, could snap you in half. He would do it slowly, too. Make sure you feel every snap of a bone, every tear of muscle… he would make sure you felt the most pain before he would allow you to die.
"Of course," Aleson said quietly. "But still, it can be done."
Aleson watched in silence as the don twisted the cigar out on the ashtray that sat on the table before him.
"This don," Anthony sighed, "he hasn't done much yet. I believe we should wait things out, see what happens… then, if I think we should, we will cut him off."
Now the don waved his hand. "You're dismissed, monster," he said. Aleson stared at his hand for a moment. He envisioned himself breaking every single bone in that hand, slowly, painfully. He smiled a smug smile, knowing that one day it will happen. He bowed his head slightly, and with that, he left.
Silas stared at the man, his throat feeling dry. The man tilted his head, leaning slightly forward again. He was quite pale, truthfully; his bright gold hair didn't really help to hide that fact, either. But he was very well maintained.
"Listen to me, boy… I have work to tend to. I will have a guard in here, to make sure you don't act up… but still, I'm going to tell you this. If you dare get any ideas, if you even think about trying to get out of here… well. I promise you, you will not make it."
Now Silas felt his mouth go dry. He nodded slowly, unable to tear his gaze away from the man's eyes. They were so… bright. A bright yellow. It was very unnatural, but it wasn't the color that scared him; it was the complete malice in them that did.
The man nodded, exiting the room.
Silas realized only now how bad he was shaking. It was cold in the room, yes, but he wasn't shaking over cold… he was shaking with fear. Fear of not knowing who that was, not knowing what was wrong with Aarav, how he got here, where here was… all of it was terrifying.
He slowly sat down, hugging his knees to his chest. It was so terrifying. Tears pricked at his eyes, even though they were jammed shut. Why? What was even happening? Why was this fair? How could this be fair?
The door being pushed open again made him look up, and quickly scramble back. Yet instead of the large man reentering, a smaller person entered. They were taller than Silas still, but lanky, thin. That didn't mean they didn't have muscle, of course; Silas could see the muscles that the person had through their thin blue shirt.
He swallowed, trying to calm at least his shaking. The person shut the door, looking at Silas. It was a woman; her long red hair went past her shoulders, pulled back in a ponytail. She wasn't pale, like the large man, either; her skin was a darker, tan color.
The woman was wearing a simple, blue, button-up dress shirt with black slacks. Finally, Silas noticed the white eyepatch that covered an eye. He wondered how that happened briefly before the fear returned.
Almost as soon as she entered the room, she had moved over to him. She crouched in front of him, eye narrow. Silas yelped as she grabbed his chin, but she ignored it. Turning his head from side to side, she studied him. Finally, she released him, scoffing.
"Don't look like nothin' to me," she muttered, standing tall.
Silas watched in confusion as she walked to the far wall, leaning on it. She started to mess with a small knife that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, almost completely ignoring the boy now. She seemed very uninterested.
"Who-… who are you?" Silas asked quietly. The woman was quiet for a moment, as if considering whether or not to answer. Then, she shrugged, not looking directly at him.
"Ash," she said. Her voice was gruff, Silas noticed. So… she was the guard that man was talking about, then? He shivered a little, remembering the threats the man made. He shook the thoughts from his head.
"Where am I? Is… is Aarav going to be ok?" he asked. The questions were mostly asked in the hopes of taking his mind off of things. Though, he could have chosen a better question, he realized now.
"The boy?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Aarav, still asleep in the chair. "Yea, he'll be fine, I think." She paused, looking away, as though thinking about something. She shivered, muttering quietly. "Fuck that…."
"You think?" Silas asked. He worried for his friend, deeply so. Ash glanced at him again now, pausing yet again. She flung the knife into the air. Silas followed it with his eyes, but it… it vanished. It never came back down – how had it just vanished in midair?
"Tahika's magic is crazy, man. I don't know if he'll live, really." Ash didn't sound too worried about this. In fact, she had a completely nonchalant attitude. Silas felt his heart in his throat again, trying to calm his worries. "But, I think he will."
"Tahika?" Silas asked, choking a little. He wanted to just take his mind off of stuff, and the only way that seemed possible at the moment was to get this woman to continue to speak.
Ash shivered again at the name. "Fuck, Tahika…" she was quiet a moment, wrinkling her nose. She shook her head quickly. "Tahika is Amer's wife. You know, that guy that was just in here."
"Oh…," Silas said slowly.
Ash began to mutter something under her breath, but quickly tensed, looking at the door. She paused, biting her cheek. She seemed very fearful, as though speaking of this matter could make someone bust the door down to attack her.
"She… she has magic? What is it?" Silas asked. He felt their conversation was dwindling, and wanted to save it.
"Mmh… crazy shit, dude. She can like… calm people. Manipulate their feelings, y'know? Make them happy, or calm, or… or sleepy."
Silas felt himself almost shrink at that. He wondered if she'd try to use that on him, make him calm down… it was a terrifying thing to think about; your thoughts not being your own, rather you're being manipulated to love someone… it made him want to leave all the more.
"Why am I here?"
Ash stretched a bit, sliding down the wall until she was sitting against it. She looked at Silas, seeming bored. "Boss thinks you're workin for an enemy of his."
"What?" Silas asked, bewildered. "An enemy – I don't work for anyone!�� he said. Ash simply shrugged at this news.
"Donno what to tell ya, kid."
"Really though! I haven't even…" he trailed off, upset. Was he going to die here? Why?
He stared at the floor, beginning to think. He wasn't working for anyone. That was crazy – he had just gotten in town! There was no way anyone would think he… Silas paused. His mind leapt to a new reason as to why he was here. Ruk.
It had to be Ruk, hadn't it? None of this was happening before Ruk, then… then suddenly this creep shows up out of nowhere and suddenly he's kidnapped? Plus, Ruk was the only large killer he knew… the more he thought of it the more set on his thoughts Silas became.
"Damnit," he whispered. "But I don't even know Ruk!"
Silas had barely even finished his sentence before Ash had shot across the room. She crouched in front of him, hissing, "Shut up!" Quickly, her eyes moved to the door, silent. There was a long, thick pause.
Finally, she looked back at him. She seemed angry, but there was something else in her eyes. Fear. Extreme fear. "Do you want to get killed, punk? You die, I die, so shut your damn mouth!" she whispered urgently.
"What?" Silas asked quietly, eyes wide.
"Kurukkan – Ruk – he's a Naši brother," she explained. Silas almost didn't hear it; she was so quiet it was almost to the point of under her breath. "Boss hates the Naši… they're constantly at each other's throats. And you are with them!"
"I'm not!" Silas said, a bit louder than he intended. He was insulted.
Ash clapped a hand over his mouth now, looking at the door again. She chewed her cheek as she looked back. She stood tall after a moment, brushing the nonexistent dust off her shirt.
"I… I think its best if we don't speak anymore."